This invention relates to an improved, self-lighting cigarette or cigar which helps prevent the inhalation of the irritating and noxious fumes produced by the self-lighting ignition element.
Self-lighting cigarettes have been known for quite some time. Most of these cigarettes are based on the incorporation of combustible substances at one end of the cigarette which ignite when that end is struck on a rough surface. The primary advantage of these cigarettes is the avoidance of any need for matches or an external heat source such as a cigarette lighter.
One of the drawbacks of self-lighting cigarettes is that irritating and noxious fumes are generated by the ignition since the combustible substances used are generally based upon sulfur, phosphorous, or similar compounds. These fumes are frequently drawn into the mouth of the smoker and inhaled, producing an unpleasant sensation and a distaste for self-lighting cigarettes. Many attempts have been made to overcome this problem. Some of them are described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,874,700 to Kahler; U.S. Pat. No. 3,136,318 to Nakamura; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,030 to Whang.